By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Thursday August 15, 2024
Elena Rybakina's return to the tour was short-lived this week in Cincinnati, as she was bounced by Canada's Leylah Fernandez.
Photo Source: TTV
Leylah Fernandez earned her first Top-5 win since the 2021 US Open, saving a pair of match points to take down fourth-ranked Elena Rybakina on Thursday at the Cincinnati Open.
Playing in her first match since the Wimbledon semis, Rybakina double-faulted on both of her match points as she served for the match at 6-5 in the second set. She served 17 doubles overall, and fell 3-6, 7-6(3), 6-4.
Fernandez dominated the second-set tiebreak then critically broke Rybakina for 4-3 in the final set to finish the win in two hours and 35 minutes.
Rybakina drops to 40-9 overall on the season. She played well in spots, cracking 41 winners and 20 aces, but ultimately not well enough to prevail.
Fernandez will face Diana Shnaider in the third round.
The 26th-ranked Canadian improves to 23-17 on the year.
Second-seeded Aryna Sabalenka was a winner on Thursday, as she hammered past Italy’s Elisabetta Cocciaretto, 6-3, 6-4 to set a round of 16 clash with Elina Svitolina.
More to follow....